Sarah Davies

Sarah W. Davies is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Boston University, leading the Davies Marine Population Genomics Lab since 2017. Her research focuses on coral symbiosis, climate change impacts, and genomic adaptation, integrating physiological experiments with large-scale genomic data. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin (2014) and an M.Sc. in addition to her academic roles.

Her work examines mechanisms of adaptation, acclimation, and dispersal in corals and their symbionts, particularly how climate change disrupts symbiotic relationships. Key projects include studying coral host regulation of symbionts, range expansions, and genomic responses to environmental stressors. Collaborations with institutions in Japan and Panama explore coral population genomics and reef resilience.

Publications span topics like coral transcriptomics under thermal stress, symbiont dynamics, and cryptic coral diversity. Her lab uses cutting-edge tools such as single-cell RNA sequencing, automated morphometric analysis (AutoMorFi), and transcriptome assemblies for species like Astrangia poculata and Siderastrea siderea.

Awards and recognitions are not explicitly listed, but her research has been supported by grants focusing on coral adaptation to global change. The lab actively engages undergraduate and graduate students in fieldwork, genomics, and bioinformatics, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to marine conservation challenges.